Posted: Mar 02, 2021
NEW ORLEANS - 11 different members of the Carson-Newman track and field team earned a combined 14 USTFCCCA All-Region honors on Tuesday, Mar. 2.
'I'm so proud of this team," says Director of Track & Field and Cross Country David Needs. "With all the circumstances standing in the way of a successful season, our athletes rose above a limited meet schedule and not having a conference championship meet to excel. The variety of events and the success of both underclassmen and upperclassmen have us really excited for the outdoor season ahead."
Sterling Melancon and Devon Moore led the way on the men's side as both earned honors in the 60 and 200 meter runs.
Moore's run of 6.74 seconds in the 60 meter at the UIndy Last Chance Meet ranks him fourth in the country, while his time of 21.44 seconds in the 200 meter at the VMI Classic is eighth in the country. After finishing third and recording a false start in his first two 60 meter races of the season at the KMS Invitational in January, Moore has won seven straight races in the men's 60 meter to close out the indoor regular season.
Melancon meanwhile made an impressive debut at Carson-Newman, finishing third with a time of 6.87 seconds in the 60 meter run at the Buccaneer Invitational on Feb. 6. That time was good enough for 28th in the nation and was just 0.01 seconds from a provisional time for Nationals.
In the 200 meter run, Melancon set a personal best with a time of 22.05 seconds at the VMI Winter Classic and won his first ever collegiate event with a time of 22.21 seconds at the UIndy Last Chance Meet.
Joseph Oreva had a phenomenal debut for the Eagles, obliterating the 44 year old indoor school record in the long jump with a distance of 7.84 meters in his final jump of the day to win the competition. That distance still ranks first in the nation at the Division II level by 0.09 meters. Oreva has won all three events this season, his closest win by 0.30 meters at the KMS Invitational in Birmingham, Ala.
Both Sam Cleek and Shane Connell took home All-Region honors in the high jump. The freshmen both set personal bests of 2.00 meters this season and finished in the top four of every event they competed in.
Isaiah Weasby earned honors in the 400 meter run. The Arlington, Tenn. freshman won his first career event at the Buccaneer Invitational, winning his first collegiate event with a personal best time of 49.78 seconds in the 400 meter run.
Josh Whitaker had one of the finest debuts in a Carson-Newman track and field uniform for any freshman, tying the school record in indoor men's pole vault with a jump of 4.55 meters in his first ever collegiate event. Whitaker would go on to earn his first career event win at the Buccaneer Invitational with a jump of 4.31 meters.
On the women's side, Tia Davis lead the way. earning honors in both the 60 and 200 meter runs. Davis had a strong end to the indoor season, resetting her personal best in the 60 meter run three weeks in a row. Her time of 7.72 seconds at the UIndy Last Chance Meet ties the school record held by teammate Amanda Lowe.
In the 200 meter, Davis finished in the top eight in every single race, including a second place finish at the UIndy Last Chance Meet with a time of 26.08 seconds.
Lowe broke her own school record in the 60 meter run with a time of 7.78 seconds at the Buccaneer Invitational on Feb. 6. One week later, she broke her own record again by 0.06 seconds with a time of 7.72 seconds at the VMI Winter Classic.
Abby Owens competed in just two events this season, but finished in the top two in both of them, winning the women's pole vault title at the Buccaneer Invitational with a clearance of 3.50 meters.
Nathalie Schumacher continued her strong career in the high jump, winning at her first two meets of the year with a clearance of 1.65 meters at the KMS Invitational and a clearance of 1.58 meters at the Buccaneer Invitational. Schumacher finished in the top three of every event she competed in and missed an NCAA Division II provisional mark by just 0.02 meters.
Cleek, Connell, Melancon, Oreva, Weasby and Whitkaer are six of the 117 freshmen represented on the men's all-region list. This is the first career all-region indoor honor for Lowe. For Owens and Schumacher, this is their second straight year being named to the all-region list while these are the first two honors of Davis' indoor career.
For Moore, this makes him an astounding 10x all-region member at the outdoor and indoor competition level.
A total of 1,311 athletes from 99 different institutions earned All-Region honors nationwide with 650 honorees coming from the men's side and an additional 661 from women's teams.
To earn All-Region honors, an athlete must be one of the top-5 individuals in their events in their respective region.
USTFCCCA All-Region Honorees
Men
Sam Cleek - High Jump
Shane Connell - High Jump
Sterling Melancon - 60 Meters, 200 Meters
Devon Moore - 60 Meters, 200 Meters
Joseph Oreva - Long Jump
Isaiah Weasby - 400 Meters
Josh Whitaker - Pole Vault
Women
Tia Davis - 60 Meters, 200 Meters
Amanda Lowe - 60 Meters
Abby Owens - Pole Vault
Nathalie Schumacher - High Jump
